title: Fibroblasts cultured on nanowires exhibit low motility, impaired cell division, and DNA damage.
abstract: Nanowires are commonly used as tools for interfacing living cells, acting as biomolecule-delivery vectors or electrodes. It is generally assumed that the small size of the nanowires ensures a minimal cellular perturbation, yet the effects of nanowires on cell migration and proliferation remain largely unknown. Fibroblast behaviour on vertical nanowire arrays is investigated, and it is shown that cell motility and proliferation rate are reduced on nanowires. Fibroblasts cultured on long nanowires exhibit failed cell division, DNA damage, increased ROS content and respiration. Using focused ion beam milling and scanning electron microscopy, highly curved but intact nuclear membranes are observed, showing no direct contact between the nanowires and the DNA. The nanowires possibly induce cellular stress and high respiration rates, which trigger the formation of ROS, which in turn results in DNA damage. These results are important guidelines to the design and interpretation of experiments involving nanowire-based transfection and electrical characterization of living cells.
authors.affiliation: Division of Solid State Physics, Lund University, Box 118, 22100 Lund, Sweden; The Nanometer Structure Consortium, Lund University, Box 118, 22100 Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Persson
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Købler
authors.forename: Kristian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mølhave
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Samuelson
authors.forename: Jonas O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Tegenfeldt
authors.forename: Stina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oredsson
authors.forename: Christelle N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Prinz
mesh_terms: D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D053770:Nanowires / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species
keywords: cell motility; cell proliferation; nanotoxicity; nanowires; reactive oxygen species